Where have the last 6 months gone???

To all my Canadian friends, Happy Belated Canada Day!! We had the most gorgeous July 1st ever yesterday ~ it was a perfect day to celebrate the birthday of our glorious country! Dora was the in the party mood and rocked her bandana all day long. She definitely represented all Canadian poochies well.

We started our day off yesterday with an amazing brunch with my grandparents, my BFF Krista and her gorgeous little lady, Mackenzie. I have to say that Derek and I did an awesome job on the food and we had a fabulous spread for everyone to enjoy. Make sure you check back with me on Wednesday because I'll be sharing all of our awesome eats!!

This morning it occurred to me that WE ARE ALREADY INTO JULY!!! Can you believe that we are halfway through 2011?! Only 6 more months until 2012! Yikes - where has the time gone?!

I thought it was the perfect time to take a look back at a list of goals I set for myself on January 1, 2011. This year I wrote myself a genuine list of things I would like to accomplish. I gave up on the old tradition of making resolutions, because like so many others, I usually give up within the first month or two. I like the idea of writing a list of goals instead. It keeps me on track and is something I revisit now and again just to see how I'm doing and to give me some motivation. Some of my goals are just 'to dos' that I can never seem to get to and some are actual goals that I will probably work towards over the course of the coming years. Check out how I'm doing so far:

Andrea's Goals for 2011

1. Clean out my closets and donate my old clothes to the Goodwill.
Done!!  I did this a few weeks back and I have two huge garbage bags of clothes to donate. The funny thing is that my closets are just as full now as before.....I think it's fair to say I have a ridiculous amount of clothes.....

2. Start making some decisions about my future career path and look into different courses.
This one is a work in progress. I have definitely been doing some soul searching on what path I'm destined to follow. I'm still not exactly clear, but I would have to say I have an idea now where I would like to see my life go.

3. Take a cooking class.
I haven't even looked into this yet, but I'm definitely going to do it!

4. Sign up to the gym.
Done!! I made this list of goals on January 1st and I signed up to the local YMCA on January 2nd.

5. Run a 5K Race.
I haven't done this yet, but my friend Angie and I are definitely planning to run a 5K in the Fall. The challenge for me is starting a training program on my own and sticking to it.

6. Sponsor a child.
I have wanted to do this for years and just never done it. I would like to do this as my Christmas Gift this year. I have looked into a couple of different organizations and this will definitely be something that will be done by the year end. I feel in my heart that I was meant to be part of this program and that there is a special child out there for me to help. 

7. Save $1,000 for a rainy day.
This doesn't seem like alot of money, but Derek lost his job almost 2 years ago and he just started a new full-time position in his dream job about six weeks ago. When you're used to 2 incomes and then go down to 1 for that amount of time, things can get a little tight. I love the feeling of having a little money set aside that can be used for something fun and spontaneous.

8. Finish decorating our master bedroom.
The room is painted and the bedding has been purchased. All we need is wall decor and a bed skirt, so I'm about 50% done this one!

9. Take yoga.
Not done yet, but I have found a local class I'm planning to sign up for in September.

10. Start a blog.
Done!! I love you guys ~ thanks for reading and supporting and helping to make this blog and my journey so rewarding!!!

11. Plant a garden.
Done!! We have a potted garden on the deck. We have a cute little herb garden, as well as some jalapenos, grape tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes and red Cuban peppers in pots.

So far I've got 4/11 accomplished with many more in the works. Not too shabby if I do say so myself!

Do you make a list of goals and/or resolutions each year? If you do, how are you doing so far?

Now I must say farewell because the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and I think it's time to head outdoors and enjoy yet another beautiful day. Summer has arrived my friends ~ get out there and enjoy!!

Have a great weekend,

Andrea